Gregory James Banken, 65, of Woodinville, Washington, succumbed to his year-long battle with cancer surrounded by his family on May 12, 2015. Greg is survived by his wife, Linda, their children Tyler (Amy) Banken, Jamie (Beau) Fruits, and Heather (Gavin) Forseth, three grandchildren, and nine brothers and sisters.
Greg was born on August 12, 1949 in Appleton, Minnesota where he was raised on his family farm. There he learned the value of hard work and practicality, skills that helped to shape the person he became. He started his education in a one-room school house and later attended the University of Minnesota where he earned a degree in Aerospace Engineering. After graduating, Greg moved to Seattle where he took a job at Boeing.
In April of 1976, Greg and Linda were married, starting their family shortly after. During this time, he also earned a Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington. After leaving Boeing, Greg began a successful consulting career, working on engineering projects for organizations such as Hanford Nuclear Facility, the Department of Defense, the New York City Subway System, the Seattle tunnel project, and NASA, including the Orion spacecraft.
Greg enjoyed spending time with his family and gardening in his yard. He was so happy to have a chance to know his three grandchildren and spend time with them before his passing. During his 39 years of marriage, he and Linda were able to travel the world together, visiting Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Services for Greg will be Saturday, May 30 at 11:00 am at his beloved place of worship, Timberlake Church in Redmond, Washington. The service will be conducted by Lead Pastor Ben Sigman. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Timberland Church in memory of Gregory Banken, 4505 236th Avenue NE, Redmond, Washington, 98053.